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Banks to Pay N10,000 for Non-Reversal of e-Funds Transfers

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By Dipo Olowookere

From Tuesday, October 2, 2018, banks operating in Nigeria will have to pay a fine of N10,000 each time it fails to reverse failed electronic payments into a customer’s account within 24 hours.

This was contained in a circular issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and signed by its Director of Banking and Payment System Department, Mr ‘Dipo Fatokun.

“A failed NIP transaction not reversed into customer’s account within 24 hours based on complaints of sender and/or beneficiary [shall attract] N10,000 per item,” the apex bank said in the circular dated September 13, 2018.

It further stated that, “Delayed application of inward NIP into beneficiary’s accounts beyond 4 minutes based on complaints of sender and/or beneficiary [shall attract] N10,000 per item.”

In the circular, the central bank explained that these regulations became necessary in line with powers under Sections 2(d), 33 (1)b) and 47(2) of the CBN Act 2007 “to promote sound financial system in Nigeria, issue guidelines, facilitate the development of an efficient and effective payments system in Nigeria.”

According to the approved regulations, where a customer claims to have made a transfer in error and the beneficiary is known to the complainant, “the Sending Entity shall encourage the complainant to contact the beneficiary for an amicable settlement.”

However, the CBN said “where the beneficiary is not known to the complainant or a known beneficiary refused to effect a refund to the complainant, the Sending Entity having received a tenable claim from customer shall notify the Receiving Entity who shall place a lien on the amount in the account of the beneficiary and thereafter obtain the consent of the beneficiary to execute refund.”

It said further on “where the beneficiary does not give consent, the internal auditors of the Sending and Receiving Entities shall mediate between the two customers within 2 weeks of the complaint to resolve the issue, and their decision shall be final. Accordingly, the lien on the amount in the beneficiary’s account shall not last more than 2 weeks.”

Furthermore, the bank said “where the contested beneficiary has utilized the fund such that lien could not be placed, and he/she refuses to fund the beneficiary account to facilitate refund, the Receiving Entity’s Internal Auditors shall watch-list the customer’s BVN and the Sending Entity may report the incident to law enforcement agencies.”

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

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Banking

Visa Invests $10m in Moniepoint to Deepen Financial Inclusion

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MoniePoint

By Adedapo Adesanya

Global financial payments giant, Visa, has made a strategic investment of $10 million in Nigerian fintech unicorn, Moniepoint, to expand its services and deepen financial inclusion on the African continent.

This development comes three months after Moniepoint raised $110 million in a Series C funding round that made the company a unicorn.

With the new play, Visa joins other investors, including Development Partners International, Google’s Africa Investment Fund, Verod Capital, Lightrock, QED Investors, Novastar Ventures, British International Investment (BII), FMO (the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank), Global Ventures and Endeavor Catalyst as equity partners.

This partnership will combine Moniepoint’s local expertise and innovative business model with Visa’s global resources and capabilities to offer payment solutions to businesses and entities.

Moniepoint provides banking and payment services to small and medium businesses and retail banking. It is one of the market leaders in Nigeria’s agent banking space, with over 300,000 POS agents and has processed billions of transactions since it was founded in 2015.

The new Visa’s investment will further help Moniepoint expand its services and deepen financial inclusion on a continent that still has a comparatively low rate of financial services adoption.

Moniepoint will leverage Visa’s Cybersource system to gain better visibility into transactions. Additionally, it plans to integrate with Visa Direct for remittances and money transfers as it looks to expand into markets within and outside Africa.

Speaking on the move, Mr Tosin Eniolorunda, Founder and Group CEO of Moniepoint said, “Visa’s backing is a strong endorsement of our vision to digitize and support African businesses at scale.

“We aim to deepen financial inclusion, enabling SMEs to access the tools and resources they need to thrive in an increasingly digital economy.”

On his part, Mr Andrew Torre, Regional President, Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Visa, noted that, “Moniepoint has built an impressive platform that directly addresses the needs of Africa’s SMEs, a critical segment in enabling economic development.

”By making financial services and digital payments more accessible and efficient, Moniepoint is helping transform how businesses operate in Nigeria and beyond.

“We are excited to support their next phase of growth and innovation,” he added.

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Banking

Bankit MFB Engages Partners to Expand Loan, Gaming Services

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bankit mfb logo

By Dipo Olowookere

Efforts are being made by the management of a rapidly growing financial technology (fintech) company,

Bankit Microfinance Bank (MFB), to grow its loan and gaming services.

The firm said this is one of its targets for 2025 to solidify its position as a leading platform for comprehensive, simplified banking activities after it recorded remarkable growth in 2024 with different milestones as a result of its competitive edge and cutting-edge technology.

The digital financial services provider said it was already talking to its various partners on how to ensure customers get more access to credit facilities for different needs.

It said nothing would be spared to revolutionise digital banking in Nigeria, especially with a focus on innovation, customer protection, and financial inclusion.

Last year, Bankit MFB, within its first few weeks of operations, successfully registered over 50,000 users on its platform, a testament to its innovative simple banking approach to digital banking.

This year, the small lender has an ambitious plan to increase this by 900 per cent to a record 500,000 businesses in 2025.

Business Post gathered that in 2024, the financial institution recorded impressive transaction values, exceeding N100 million, with an impressive 90 per cent transaction success rate.

Since joining the business, it has introduced web banking and other innovative banking products, with more in development.

With the financial services sector not immune to fraud, Bankit MFB said it prioritises the protection of customers’ funds, expressing its commitment to diversifying its digital services to enhance customer experience.

Bankit MFB is a financial institution licenced to operate in the country by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which is dedicated to providing innovative, customer-centric financial solutions to individuals and others.

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Banking

CBN to Unveil FX Code January 28 to Boost Market Integrity

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street FX traders

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, launch a foreign exchange (FX) code designed to boost the integrity of the market.

A statement from the banking sector regulator on Wednesday said the FX code would be unveiled at its headquarters in Abuja next week.

It explained the forex code will serve as a guideline for the ethical conduct of FX dealers in the Nigerian forex landscape.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria has approved the release of the Nigerian Foreign Exchange (FX) Code as a guideline to the banking industry to promote the ethical conduct of Authorised Dealers in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market.

“The bank will formally launch the code at the CBN Head Office Auditorium, Abuja, on Tuesday, January 28, 2025,” the statement read.

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